Polyamines, specifically putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are bioactive metabolites essential for cellular proliferation, DNA stabilization, autophagy, and immune regulation. Synthesized endogenously, absorbed through diet, and produced by the gut microbiota, polyamines occupy a central role in gastrointestinal homeostasis and systemic health. Recent literature highlights the dynamic interplay between dietary polyamines, microbial metabolism, and host physiology, positioning polyamines as key modulators of the gut ecosystem.

This work explores how food-derived and microbiota-synthesized polyamines influence intestinal barrier function, immune responses, and cancer development. Polyamine-rich foods (e.g., soy, mushrooms, aged cheese) and microbial decarboxylation pathways contribute significantly to systemic polyamine pools. At the host interface, polyamines strengthen epithelial junctions, promote stem cell renewal, and skew immune responses toward regulatory and anti-inflammatory states. However, in oncogenic contexts, elevated polyamine biosynthesis, often driven by c-MYC activation, and microbial contributions can foster tumor growth, immune evasion, and metastasis. This duality is especially evident in colon and prostate cancers, where polyamine metabolism is hyperactivated.

Additionally, the application of polyamines in agriculture and functional food systems underscores their broader relevance to food safety, livestock health, and fermentation science. By integrating findings across nutrition, microbiome research, and oncology, this study illustrates how polyamines bridge fundamental domains in public health, offering novel translational avenues for cancer prevention and therapy via dietary and microbial modulation.